fan service
n.— «Fan service is anything in media that is there because the creators think it will please the fans, not because it advances plot, theme, character, or any other overall value of the work.» —“Re: What’s a Fan Service?” by Slithy Tove (slithy@pobox.com) Usenet: rec.arts.anime.misc Dec. 1, 2000. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Book recommendations and the art of apology. Martha and Grant share some good reads, including an opinionated romp through English grammar, a Spanish-language adventure novel, an account of 19th-century dictionary wars, and a gorgeously illustrated...
The edge of the Grand Canyon. A remote mountaintop. A medieval cathedral. Some places are so mystical you feel like you’re close to another dimension of space and time. There’s a term for such locales: thin places. And: did you ever go...